1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a global telecommunications network. More particularly, the invention relates to a tool which analyses the content and structure of Web pages in real time and produces statistics and a performance score.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Web page performance affects the quality of experience for visitors, as well as server performance requirements. Web page performance depends upon many factors, such as the number and sizes of files required to display the page, the organization of the page, the result of any modifications to the page performed by script, and the configuration of the Web server(s) hosting the content.
WebSiteOptimization.com (see FIGS. 1a-1c) offers a product which is designated Web Page Analyzer—0.82. In using this product, a user enters a URL into a field within a Web page form to invoke a script that accesses the Web page associated with the entered URL. The script calculates Web page size 11, composition 12, and download time 13. The script also calculates the size of individual elements 14 and finds the total for each type of Web page component 15. Based on these page characteristics the script then offers advice 16 derived from anecdotal evidence and prior experience on how to improve page display time.
While determining file sizes can be accomplished relatively easily, determining the actual page content, the effects of the page structure, and server configuration is more difficult. Such determination typically requires reliance upon experimental data that depends upon the availability of network connections of varying speeds, as is the case with Web Page Analyzer—0.82.
It would be advantageous to provide a Web developer with the means to determine the relative performance of a Web page quickly, without having to rely upon experimental and anecdotal data that also depend upon the availability of network connections of varying speeds.